Opinion
Adieu, Abubakar A. Badawi: An accountant per excellence
Kabiru Isah Dandago
Sunday, May 10, 2020, was a sad day for accounting practitioners, scholars and students in Kano and Jigawa states as we suffered the irreparable loss of Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed Badawi.
After sustaining him for 75 years and three months, his creator decided to take him to his final abode, hopefully, heaven.
Alhaji Badawi’s death came 42 days after the tragic loss of an elder statesman of the profession, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim, FCA.
He passed to the great beyond on March 29, 2020.
The late Ibrahim was the first chartered accountant in the old Kano State, past chairman of the Kano District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and a one-time member of the Governing Council of the institute.
Like Badawi, Ibrahim was a father, mentor, professional colleague and promoter of this writer at various levels.
May his soul rest in aljannatul fiddausi.
Thoroughbred professional
Alhaji Badawi’s life was full of exciting accomplishments in public financial management in particular and contribution to humanity in general.
It is important, therefore, to highlight some of his contributions to the accountancy profession, mentorship of future generation, deep-rooted social work and various inputs to national economic development for the present and future generation of accountants to learn some lessons.
This would also make readers to appreciate the values of the attributes he held on to as he set many excellent records that might be difficult to equate by the present and future generation of accountants in Nigeria and beyond.
Alhaji Badawi began his career as a public servant in 1970 when he got his first appointment in the old Kano State civil service, until 2006 when he retired.
As a thoroughbred professional, his retirement became another opportunity to render professional services as a consultant to the SPARC, DfID, World Bank and many other development partners. He also served as a resource person to many capacity- building training consultancy firms, especially on public financial management topics.
Alhaji Badawi’s integrity, independent-mindedness, competence, loyalty, humility and hard work endeared him to the first civilian governor of the old Kano State, the late Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi, who appointed him as accountant- general of the state in 1982, just 12 years into his civil service career.
He was retained by Rimi’s successor, the late Alhaji Abdu Dawakin Tofa, likewise the late Alhaji Sabo Bakin Zuwo.
He occupied the position until 1984. This shows that Alhaji Badawi had the privilege of working with all the three civilian governors of the old Kano State in the Second Republic as accountant-general. What a record! In 1989, Brigadier Idris Garba appointed him as auditor-general for local government, a position he held until 1992 when Architect Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya moved him from that office to the office of the auditor-general of the state.
He served as auditor-general for the state until 2006 when he retired from active public service.
This shows that he had served in that capacity three years for local government and 14 years for state, making a total of 17 years in active service as auditor-general.
He, therefore, worked with four military governors (Idris Garba, Abdullahi Wase, Dominic Oneya and Aminu Kontagora) and three civilian governors (Kabiru Gaya, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shekarau) as auditor- general.
This is another record to beat or equate, not only in Nigeria but even across the African continent.
All the governors he worked with accepted him as a trustworthy and reliable officer.
With the godly attributes in him, he was able to discharge his duties meritoriously and retired from service unblemished.
There was no trace of illegally acquired wealth against him.
Great mentor
While discharging his duties, he mentored many people.
Some of those he mentored were Alhaji Isma’ila Y. Takai (a former accountant-general, Kano State); Alhaji Badaru Abubakar (governor of Jigawa State); the late Auwalu Balarabe Wudil (former auditor-general, Kano State); Alhaji Ahmad Idris (accountant-general of the federation, AGF); Alhaji Ali Ben Musa (former auditor-general, local government); Alhaji Muhammad BB Farouk (auditor-general, local government ); Alhaji Tijjani N. Kura (former auditor-general, Kano State); Hajiya Amina Inuwa Sa’id (auditor-general, Kano State), and Alhaji Hassan A. Jakada (a retired director of audit), among many others.
It is sad to mention that one of his mentees, Alhaji Musa Bebeji, died in the morning of the same May 10, 2020 when Badawi died. May his gentle soul rest in aljannatul fiddausi.
Should all the civil servants across the country adopt Alhaji Badawi’s attributes, the Nigerian civil service would become honourable, productive, reliable and incorruptible.
It would ultimately become the foundation the country deserves for sustainable development.
In upholding the sanctity of the accountancy profession, Badawi was a dogged fighter.
As accountant-general and auditor-general, he showed younger ones how to serve public interest.
But in view of the ethical principles they are expected to comply with in the discharge of their various duties as accountants, the younger ones need to belong to professional bodies.
ANAN pioneer
After obtaining his professional training at the United Kingdom (UK), he was one of the leading figures in the struggle for the recognition of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN).
His reason for joining the struggle, as he told this writer, was to create room for competition in the accountancy services market.
He had a strong belief in the saying that “healthy competition is always a vehicle to efficiency and effectiveness.’’
As the war was won and the ANAN was recognized by law as the second professional accountancy body in Nigeria, Alhaji Badawi was made a pioneer council member of the association.
His membership number had two digits.
He became a rallying point for the ANAN in the northern part of the country, encouraging all qualified accounting graduates to belong, including this writer.
He served as referee to any interested person who was qualified to be enrolled into the membership of the association.
Friend of accounting students
Alhaji Badawi was also an excellent friend or associate of accounting students at various levels.
He was always ready to be invited to give talks or present papers to students of polytechnic or university on topical accounting issues. He used to receive students in his office and house and allow them chance to engage him with questions or problems that would require his wisdom.
He was also very willing to assist them with books, journals or even money to buy some relevant academic materials.
At Bayero University, Kano, Badawi was one of the 10 eminent accounting personalities nominated by this writer in 2002 when he was the head of Accounting Department.
The vice chancellor then, Professor Musa Abdullahi, appointed them as honorary members of the department.
For 18 years, Alhaji Badawi and Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim were active members of the department.
They attended departmental seminars, meetings and annual national conferences.
In fact, they assisted the department with contacts of individuals and organizations that contributed money and other resources for the conduct of the national conferences.
On retirement, Alhaji Badawi became a consultant to many development partners on various accounting and auditing matters and a resource person to some human development training firms on various topical issues.
By his continuous engagement as a consultant and resource person, Alhaji Badawi continued to serve humanity from 1970 till he died in 2020.
And he was modest in his charges for all the consultancy services he rendered.
Now that Alhaji Badawi is back to his creator, we pray for him to be in the aljannatul fiddausi.
We also pray for his wonderful family, especially his best half, Prof Gaji A. Badawi, to have the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. For us that have been his mentees over the years, and all our mentees as well, let’s hold on to his attributes: integrity, independent-mindedness, competence, loyalty, humility and hard work.
We shall meet again in aljannatul fiddaus, in sha Allah
Professor Dandago is of the Department of Accounting, Bayero University, Kano. He wrote this piece with contribution from the ANAN, Kano State. He can be reached on kidandago@gmail.com, 08023360386
Abdulrazak Ibrahim
During my undergraduate years in the 90s, I spent countless hours offering private lessons to the children of the affluent in Kano, especially within the Lebanese community around Bompai.
What began as a modest hustle blossomed into a wide-reaching network of tutors that spanned the city. That was just within the realm of teaching.
But as a son of Kano, my connection to the city runs far deeper. I’ve walked its pulse-literally. I would trek from BUK to Bata, soaking in the rhythm of life on every street.
I lived once in Kabara, where I was fully immersed in the city’s rich traditions, especially during the annual Durbar festivities at my late uncle’s house-he was the then Sakin Hawa of Sarkin Kano.
I watched Kano expand before my eyes.
I spent countless evenings at Wapa Cinema and served as a census enumeration officer, counting the people of Tudun Nupawa, Marmara, and Soron Dinki.
I travelled across the state-from Albasu to Zakirai-witnessing its cultural and economic breadth.
I’ve seen immigrants from across the Sahel flock to this city, drawn by its promise of life and trade.
My own town of birth, Kura-a local government in the state-is now home to some of the largest rice production and processing clusters in Africa, a true testament to Kano’s agricultural prowess and enduring relevance in food systems development.
I frequented Kofar Ruwa market, where my father’s spare parts shops were located, and where I regularly interacted with Igbo traders from across Nigeria.
I was creditworthy to the newspaper vendor at Bata and the Tuwo seller near a filling station in Kabuga.
Life in Kano was textured and vibrant
As university students, we attended musical concerts at Alliance Française and danced the night away at Disco J.
As secondary school students, we debated fiercely and won inter-secondary school quizzes and competitions, sharpening minds and building futures.
Almost every doctor, engineer, pharmacist, or scientist from Kano passed through one of our renowned science secondary schools-many of them going on to set records on both national and global stages.
Kano is not just a city-it is a living legacy. It pulses with innovation and enterprise. From agriculture to industrial production, logistics to sustainable manufacturing, food and nutrition to textiles and services, Kano is a mosaic of possibilities.
Here, livelihoods are not stumbled upon-they are forged with creativity and intent.
In this city, it’s nearly impossible not to find a means of sustenance. Kano is, indeed, abundance in motion.
Our story is not a modern miracle. Our industries and institutions are rooted in antiquity, stretching back thousands of years.
Perhaps that is why Kano is so often misunderstood-and even envied, as seen in the recent uproar sparked by a misguided, lowbrow TikToker with neither education nor depth.
From distant corners, individuals from places ravaged by material lack and intellectual barrenness often log on to the internet to hurl slurs at a people and culture they neither understand nor care to.
But we know who we are.
And we will protect that identity.
We will labour to ensure that Kano continues to flourish, to lead, and to evolve-technologically and economically-without losing its philosophical soul or cultural roots.
As Professor Uba Abdallah so wisely declared: “When a man is tired of Kano, that man is tired of life.”
And Kano-our Kano-is still full of life.
Still bold, still brilliant, still ours.
Opinion
Support for President Tinubu’s Policies and Call for the Appointment of Hisham Habib as Political Adviser
By Auwal Dankano
We, a coalition of concerned citizens and political stakeholders, express our unwavering support for the bold and decisive policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at revitalizing our nation and securing a prosperous future for all Nigerians.
President Tinubu’s commitment to economic reform, infrastructural development, and social welfare initiatives demonstrates a clear vision for progress. We commend his administration’s efforts to address the challenges facing our country, and we believe that with continued dedication and strategic leadership, Nigeria will overcome these obstacles and achieve its full potential.
In light of the recent resignation of Hakeem Baba-Ahmed as Political Adviser, we urge President Tinubu to consider the appointment of Hisham Habib as his successor. Hisham Habib is a seasoned political strategist with a proven track record of effective communication, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement. His extensive experience and deep understanding of the Nigerian political landscape make him an ideal candidate to serve as a trusted advisor to the President.
Hisham Habib’s qualifications include: A degree in English and attended courses in politics and journalism in both local and overseas. He works with media houses up to the level of managing editor, and he was the first set of publishers of online newspapers in Nigeria.
He also served a the Director media of NNPP presidential and govarnatorial election, as well as appointed as Managing Director of Kano State own Radio station.
Many remember him as the pioneer chairman of NNPP, Kano state chapter , whose political expertise help the party win the number one seat in Kano.
As he decamped to the ruling APC, he build a strong chain , that will make our great party victorious at the fourth coming elections.
We believe that Hisham Habib’s appointment would strengthen the President’s advisory team and enhance the effective implementation of his administration’s agenda. His expertise in political strategy and his commitment to national development align perfectly with President Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria.
We call upon President Tinubu to give serious consideration to Hisham Habib’s candidacy and to appoint him as Political Adviser. We are confident that his contributions will be invaluable in advancing the President’s goals and ensuring the success of his administration.
We also want to call the attention of Mr President to consider Auwal Dankano for a national assignment. Auwal is the chairman of Rwinwin, a movement that worked tirelessly toward the success of president Tunubu in the last elections year.
Dankano is a quantity surveyor, with over two decades of field experience, and always promote APC and President Tunubu masses oriented policies.
Ha was a board member of Kano Micro finance, as well as Representative of Kano State , in Northern Governor’s Forum.
We reaffirm our unwavering support for President Tinubu and his efforts to build a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria.
Auwal Dankano
National Chairman
APC Forum of Intellectuals.
Dr. Auwalu Halilu
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.
It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that the Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) receives the sad news of the passing of our dear friend, mentor, and a tireless champion of education and development, Dr. Auwalu Inusa Mohammed, former Chairman of the Education Support Group (ESG).
Dr. Auwalu was not only a pillar in the education sector but a beacon of hope and resilience for all who believed in the power of knowledge and community development. His wisdom, humility, and unwavering commitment to improving educational outcomes have left an indelible mark on our state and beyond.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, and the entire development community. His legacy of service, advocacy, and dedication to humanity will continue to inspire us.
May Allah (SWT) forgive his shortcomings, grant him Jannatul Firdaus, and give his loved ones the strength to bear this great loss.
Dr. Auwalu Halilu
Co-Chair (CSOs),
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) .
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